Doors, usually referred to as storm or screen doors, are typically light in weight and lend themselves to being opened rather rapidly. When a person passes through the frame in which the door is mounted, and particularly when the person is in a hurry, the tendency is for the storm or screen door to be opened quickly and to a point where it swings wide to engage a wall structure in which the frame of the door is mounted.
Opening of the door to such an extent is, however, unnecessary to the passage of the person through the frame and, frequently, damaging of the door or the wall structure, and even hazardous to either the person opening the door or other people in the vicinity. Consequently, various door guard and check devices have been constructed in order to limit the unrestricted swinging of the door. As the door is swung open to positions beyond one in which it is at a substantially right angle to the door frame, the guard functions to both attenuate the swinging open of the door and to urge the door back to a closed position.
One structure which accomplishes such a function is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,560 issued to C. G. Pierie on Jan. 31, 1961 for a DOOR RETURN AND CHECK MECHANISM. The mechanism of that patent includes a compression spring disposed intermediate a pair of end plates, which spring is compressed as the end plates attach to a pair of co-acting yokes moved toward one another. Each of the end plates has a pair of openings provided therein for allowing the passage of legs of the opposite yoke through the plate. Each of the openings is sized similar to the cross-sectional size of the leg of the yoke which passes through the opening. As the yokes move relative to one another in a telescoping fashion as the door is opened and closed, the chance exists, therefore, that if the legs of the yokes flex because of pressure exerted thereon, they will bind in the openings and preclude free swinging movement of the door prior to when it achieves a position at which restriction is desired.
Another potential problem which exists with door check systems of this nature is one wherein a compression spring will engage the door during opening and closing thereof because of its close proximity thereto. Because of the relative axial movement of one coil of the compression spring with respect to another, chafing of the door structure as it is engaged by the compression spring might occur.
The invention of the present application is an improved door check device which solves these problems. It provides a structure which significantly reduces the possibility of binding as the door is urged open and, therefore, one which will allow the door to be freely opened to a position at which the check will attenuate open movement. Additionally, it functions to restrict the possibility of chafing of the door by the compression spring.